Daughters of the Sun and Moon: A Novel

An instant New York Times bestseller!

From belovedbestselling author Lisa See, the story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive and, despite the odds, thrive, in the turmoil of post–Civil War Los Angeles.

In 1870, three Chinese women arrive in the small, dusty, and violent pueblo of Los Angeles. Dove, the bound-footed daughter of an imperial scholar, is entrancing and innocent. These characteristics should bring her great rewards, beginning with her arranged marriage to a much older merchant. Petal, the big-footed daughter of peasants, has grown up hungry and with dirt between her toes. In a moment of desperation, Petal’s father sells her to buy money for rice seed, and she is loaded onto a ship to the Gold Mountain—America—where she is once again sold. Moon is married to a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. She is educated, speaks fluent English, and has been endowed with a face of great beauty, yet her failed footbinding as a child has left her with a limp that lessens her value in the eyes of many.

Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom, and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of good will. Anti-Chinese sentiment is strong in Los Angeles, and this eventually leads to the Night of Horrors during which all three women are challenged in ways they could not have imagined. Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance, and ability to “eat bitterness” to discover their voices, find freedom, and connect through solace and friendship. Together they are daughters of the sun and moon.

In her beloved New York Times bestsellers Daughters of the Sun and Moon, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Island of Sea Women, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, and China Dolls, Lisa See has brilliantly illuminated the strong bonds between women. These books have been celebrated for their authentic, deeply researched, lyrical stories about Chinese characters and cultures. Ms. See’s new novel, Daughters of the Sun and Moon, which was an Instant New York Times Bestseller, is inspired by the three real Chinese women who arrived in Los Angeles in 1870. Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom, and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of goodwill. Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance, and ability to “eat bitterness” to discover their voices, find freedom, and connect through solace and friendship. Booklist said of the book “See excels at the ‘wordless communion of women,’ portraying three disparate personalities drawing strength from and helping each other survive,” while Shelf Awareness wrote “Poignant and fascinating, Daughters of the Sun and Moon is a heart-pounding frontier narrative and a tender tribute to female friendship.”

Ms. See has led an active and varied career. She wrote the libretto for Los Angeles Opera based on On Gold Mountain. She has served as guest curator for exhibits on the Chinese-American experience at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage and curated the inaugural exhibition at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles.

Ms. See was honored as National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women in 2001, was the recipient of the Chinese American Museum’s History Makers Award in 2003, and received the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California in 2017. She sits on the boards of Los Angeles Opera, the 1871 Chinese Massacre Foundation, and the Trusteeship—an organization comprised of preeminent women of achievement and influence in diverse fields.

"See offers a stunning piece of historical fiction based in truth. It will touch readers with the characters’ resilience, heroism, and devoted friendship."
—Library Journal, *STARRED REVIEW*

"See excels at the ‘wordless communion of women,’ portraying three disparate personalities drawing strength from and helping each other survive. Moments of beautifully rendered heartbreak will have tremendous appeal."
—Booklist

"See’s narrative brims with historical detail…Poignant and fascinating, Daughters of the Sun and Moon is a heart-pounding frontier narrative and a tender tribute to female friendship."
—Shelf-Awareness

"[See] brilliantly mashes up history and fiction into character-driven page turners that bring to life ordinary women doing extraordinary things to survive a harsh and oppressive world that underestimates them."
—Publishers Weekly, Summer 2026 Staff Pick

Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Today.com